World Rugby rankings: Historic first awaits All Blacks who target Springboks’ top spot
World Rankings and an image of Cam Roigard and Manie Libbok during Springboks versus All Blacks.
South Africa and New Zealand will battle it out for the top spot in the World Rugby rankings for the third weekend in a row when the two nations collide at the FNB Stadium in Soweto.
The Springboks surrendered their number one ranking to the All Blacks when they fell to a defeat in the opening game of the series at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg but returned to the summit the following weekend after emerging victorious in Cape Town.
Top spot is on the line again in the third Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry meeting as Rassie Erasmus’ men head into the match with just a 0.54-point advantage over Dave Rennie’s charges.
With the help of World Rugby, we take a look at the weekend’s ranking permutations with action elsewhere seeing Japan host Canada while Australia and Argentina lock horns again.
Springboks and All Blacks battle it out at the top
World Rugby rankings history will be made on Saturday if the All Blacks go 2-1 up in the series by beating the Springboks at the FNB Stadium, a feat that they have managed on their two previous visits to the venue.
New Zealand beat South Africa 29-22 in 2010 and 32-16 in 2012 in the two previous matches at the stadium built ahead of the FIFA World Cup 16 years ago. If Rennie’s charges continue that trend of victories in Soweto, they will reclaim the number one ranking – regardless of the margin of the win. If this happens, it will be the first time since the rankings were introduced in October 2003 that there have been three consecutive weeks where the number one team has changed.
A win for the Springboks will extend their lead at the summit to 2.43 rating points with a win by 15 points or less, with a bigger margin of victory extending their lead to 3.38. A win for New Zealand of more than 15 points would give them a 2.62-point cushion at the top. Neither South Africa nor New Zealand can end the weekend lower than second. The Boks will remain in first place in the event of a draw but will lose 0.05 rating points.
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Over in Argentina, Los Pumas have the opportunity to regain seventh place – a position they lost last weekend in defeat to Australia in Jujuy. Felipe Contepomi’s men need to win in order to switch positions with the Wallabies again as a draw would not earn them enough rating points while a victory of more than 15 points won’t see them climb higher than seventh.
Australia can take sixth place from Scotland, but they would need to beat Argentina by more than 15 points to do so, while neither team can fall any lower than eighth with defeat in Mendoza.
Finally, Japan cannot improve their rating with victory over 24th-ranked Canada due to the 14.99-point difference between the teams. A draw in Niigata would be enough to lift Canada two places to 22nd, while a win by more than 15 points would also lift them above Romania into 21st.
This would be Canada’s highest ranking since September 2024 and also condemn Romania to their lowest position since the rankings were introduced in October 2003. Defeat will see Japan fall a place to 13th, with Georgia the beneficiaries.
Weekend’s permutations
SOUTH AFRICA (1) 93.39 v NEW ZEALAND (2) 92.85
South Africa win by 15 points or less – South Africa 94.33, New Zealand 91.90
South Africa win by more than 15 points – South Africa 94.81, New Zealand 91.43
Draw – South Africa 93.33, New Zealand 92.90
New Zealand win by 15 points or less – South Africa 92.33, New Zealand 93.90
New Zealand win by more than 15 points – South Africa 91.81, New Zealand 94.43
JAPAN (12) 75.36 v CANADA (24) 60.37
Japan win by 15 points or less – Japan 75.36, Canada 60.37 (No change)
Japan win by more than 15 points – Japan 75.36, Canada 60.37 (No change)
Draw – Japan 74.36, Canada 61.37
Canada win by 15 points or less – Japan 73.36, Canada 62.37
Canada win by more than 15 points – Japan 72.36, Canada 63.37
ARGENTINA (8) 82.08 v AUSTRALIA (7) 83.71
Argentina win by 15 points or less – Argentina 83.24, Australia 82.55
Argentina win by more than 15 points – Argentina 83.83, Australia 81.97
Draw – Argentina 82.24, Australia 83.55
Australia win by 15 points or less – Argentina 81.24, Australia 84.55
Australia win by more than 15 points – Argentina 80.83, Australia 84.97
Current World Rugby rankings
(As of 03/09/2026)
1 South Africa 93.39
2 New Zealand 92.85
3 Ireland 88.08
4 France 87.43
5 England 85.68
6 Scotland 84.78
7 Australia 83.71
8 Argentina 82.08
9 Fiji 78.00
10 Wales 76.38
11 Italy 76.30
12 Japan 75.36
13 Georgia 73.94
14 USA 70.22
15 Portugal 69.39
16 Chile 66.94
17 Spain 66.83
18 Uruguay 65.75
19 Tonga 65.14
20 Samoa 64.73
